NBA All-Star Game: George Karl's Freezing of Steve Nash Gave East the Win

Fresh from a stint in the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in his native land, the Phoenix Sun's main man, Steve Nash, experienced another moment in the 'ice' courtesy of Western Conference coach George Karl, who elected to use All-Star newcomer Deron Williams in the deciding quarter over the vastly experienced, two-time MVP.

In a very close contest watched by over 100,000 fans, Nash's presence in the fourth quarter could've provided easier scoring opportunities for Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony.

Had Carl opted to use his original starters, the outcome of the game could have been reversed.

Deron Williams even committed a crucial error, fouling Dwyane Wade with the game tied, eliciting a dagger look from a puzzled Dirk Nowitzki, who badly wanted to nail a victory in front of his Dallas fans.

Nash would not have made a rookie mistake like that. Instead, he would have provided better quarterbacking and better judgment in the crucial stage of the game.

In very limited playing time, the Phoenix guard managed to have 12 assists and during his stint, the West had the lead over the East. He would've breached the 20-assist mark had the Nuggets coach given him extended minutes.

It was also questionable on the part of Karl not to go for another experienced point guard in the person of Jason Kidd, another late addition in the Western Conference lineup.

Of course, the West had a chance to steal the game, but Carmelo Anthony missed a potential game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer.

But, in the minds of most NBA fans, the judgment of George Karl has left a lot of questions that only he can answer.